EVENTS
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Walking Architecture Tour |
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The tour explores the history of Palmer Park, and the history and artistry of the adjacent National Historic Register apartment district.
Once the epitome of grandeur, the district includes the work of some of Detroit’s best architects. Built between 1924 and the 1950s, the apartments reflect exotic architecture in the Egyptian, Spanish, Venetian, Moorish, Tudor and Mediterranean styles, as well as Art Moderne and Georgian. This impressive area is undergoing major revitalization with thirteen buildings in total undergoing renovations, a handful of which are already completed. The 2013 tour showcased nine of the Palmer Park apartment buildings and interior lobbies or units of at least seven of those buildings. Included were: an apartment in Walbri Court (1001 Covington designed by Albert Kahn and commissioned by Walter Briggs for Tiger baseball players with children), the lobby and an apartment in the recently-renovated art deco La Vogue, the interior of Palmer Lodge with renovations to be completed by the time of the tour, Covington Arms, lobbies and interior units of 825 and 850 Whitmore, the lobby of The Luxor, and 999 Whitmore. Palmer Park’s historic 1880’s Log Cabin was also open for touring with knowledgeable docents on hand, (not part of the guided walking tour). Built in 1885 for Senator Thomas Palmer and his wife Lizzie as their summer retreat, the cabin was once filled with antiques and visitors who would travel north on Woodward in horse-drawn carts. By 1895, Sen. Palmer had donated much of his farmland and woods to the city of Detroit to be used as a pleasure park for the people. The guided walking tours will return. Updates to come. |